Weekly Letter from the Pastor

Dear Fellow Parishioners of St. Benedict:

With Bay Shore Hospital and several long and short-term treatment facilities in our parish, there are many parishioners who are medical professionals. The work that they do – whether they be physicians, nurses, technicians, or aides – is invaluable in our society. At various junctures of our lives we depend on such professionals for our own well-being, and most certainly for the well-being of those whom we love. They are with us when we come into this world, and they are with us as we are returning to the God who created us.

It is most fitting, then, that we recognize and pray for them and them for the work that they do. This Thursday, October 18th, we celebrate the Feast of St. Luke, the evangelist and –as Saint Paul called him – “the beloved physician.” In keeping with a long-standing tradition in the church we will once again celebrate a White Mass this Thursday evening at 7:00 p.m.. A White Mass – reflecting the traditional color of a Doctor’s Coat and a Nurse’s uniform – is one to celebrate and pray for such dedicated health care professionals. We invite to this Mass all who are involved in health care work on any level, but also any and all parishioners who wish to celebrate with and for medical professionals for the care they have received from such professionals. It is important for all of us to say “thank you” in a prayerful way for their kindness, attentiveness, compassion, and care during our most vulnerable moments. May the Lord bless all involved in health care.

Parishes in our area hold similar Masses for professionals – St. Agnes – Our Lady of Perpetual Help in Highlands/Atlantic Highlands, holds a Blue Mass for Police, Firefighters and Emergency Responders, and St. Michael’s Church in West End holds a Red Mass for lawyers.

This past week Bishop O’Connell celebrated two special Masses at the Co-Cathedral of St. Robert Bellarmine in Freehold. Last Sunday was the Mass for Marriage Anniversaries. We celebrated and Blessed couples married, one, twenty-five, fifty years and more. One couple there celebrated their seventy-fifth anniversary. It was good to see members of our parish there. In fact the couple who read the Second Reading are parishioners here who were married last year.

On Thursday the Bishop celebrated the annual Catholic Schools Mass. Mr. Donahue, accompanied by several of our students attended that Mass. It is good to see so many students and teachers from around the diocese celebrating the work of our schools. It is our hope that more and more children from our parish and the area will be able to attend our school. We are doing very good things in the school, and we have reason to celebrate those accomplishments and move towards the future. We have many challenges ahead of us, but I am sure that we are committed and up for the task.

Although there are some bleak days in the life of the church, it is necessary and important that we continue to celebrate our Catholic faith, and the good work that we do – both as a church and as individual Catholics as members of the church who are doing great work inspired by our faith. Each of these Liturgical events are opportunities to both encourage one another and at the same time to evangelize the world. We cannot back down in the face of tragedy, we must forge ahead, and meet the challenges head-on, knowing that it is what the Gospel demands of us.

May the Lord bless us all with his bountiful mercy,
Fr. Garry